has been transformed into Spa Chanterelle

illustrations adorn the ceilings,

PHOTOS: KRISHNA ADITHYA FOR BENSLEY

The old PE department

adding a surreal quality. References from Alice in Wonderland also feature heavily. In one corridor, asymmetric arches curve at angles to create a layering effect, echoing Alice's fall down the rabbit hole. “Mushrooms provide a historically correct fantasy element that seemed to be a perfect match for this spa,” Bensley said. “I’ve collected some 20 samples of dried, foraged mushrooms and these are on display at the entry to the spa and in a turn-of-the-century French shop cabinet. Unique touches like that are important. To coax guests from the comfort of their rooms, the spa has to be even more enchanting. “The references to Alice in

The mushroom motif draws on both fantasy and history, Bensley says

Wonderland are there because the book was published in 1865, the year the university was inaugurated.”

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 2

CLADGLOBAL.COM 17